There are no relics that reflect the program's two decades of basketball irrelevancy, or any reminders that the basketball team, through its struggles, became a back-seat driver for Wall Athletics.

There's no longer the bleakness of losing seasons on the walls, either, but instead inspiration for change.

When fifth-year coach Mike Puorro brought his team together for the first week of practice, he asked his team a question -- "Why not us?"

He then hung a poster with the question on it for everyone associated with the program to pay homage to on game day.

But the poster couldn't hide the skepticism surrounding his inexperienced team.

The poster every player, coach and cheerleader touches before they hit the hardwood.

Forward Kevin Waters was the only returning starter from a team that finished 8-19. Underdog became an appropriate tag for a team set to start three sophomores -- Trent Mitchell, Brandon Barcas and Ryan Janeczek -- against a division boasting Shore Conference heavyweights, Neptune and Long Branch.

But what made a team like Neptune the most feared team in the Shore Conference? Defending Shore Conference Tournament Champions? Maybe. Group 3 finalists? Probably. Perennial powerhouse? Definitely.

After all, Wall is without a championship since 1992 and is just a year out from an 8-19 season.

For Puorro, however, there was never any disparity.

"We knew we would be immediately overlooked in every game we played," he said. "We didn't think we would get much respect."

The fifth-year coach was right.

But along the way, Wall transitioned from the team hoping to compete to the team favored to win. In its last 10 games, the Crimson Knights notched an 8-2 record and leveled the playing field in B-North by defeating Neptune, 52-49, in Wall.

When the fans stormed the court for Wall's first win against Neptune since 1974, it seemed Wall's transition from an after thought to a contender had gone full circle.

Fans storm the court after Wall defeated Neptune for the first time since 1974Sally Foley

"We had the whole student section storm the floor," Mitchell said. "I've never seen anything like that."

For Puorro, he remembered games from his debut coaching season when the only student in the bleachers was a brother of a former player.

Now, the coach says, there's an identity for Wall basketball and going to games has become the "it thing for the Crimson Crazies."

But that identity started with Puorro's question. Answering the question got easier, too.

"There's no reason why it can't be us having the success," Waters said. "We're almost making a new Wall basketball."

That new Wall team features senior leadership from Waters, who averages 10.1 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game.

While Barcas, Mitchell and Janeczek have all made splashes in their own regards, whether it be as a closer, scorer or shooter, they've also shown a fast maturation process.

When Puorro needs a spark off the bench, he has his senior sixth-man Alan Burdge, who can shake up the defensive end of the floor and distribute like a true point guard.

But as much as Wall's lineup is an anomaly with an eclectic mix of guard play and gritty low block guts, how much of the team's success belongs to leadership and a redevelopment of identity.

When Puorro hung his posters in the locker room, he didn't just hang them for this year.

"We have about six or seven posters hanging in our team room," Puorro said. "We had them drilled into the this year because we want to make sure we claim some territory. We want to be taken seriously amongst all the other sports in the school."